Lightning Strikes
by JJsGirl2
Summary: Lightning…an electric current, a spark that brightens the world or a bug? For this young couple on Memorial Day, the answer is simply…YES!


Trixie Belden lay on a chaise by the Wheelers' lake looking at the stars twinkling in the dark night sky. Nearby she heard the talking, laughing voices of her family and friends as their Memorial Day wound down. She stretched out her arms over her head and relaxed further into the cushion, a small smile of contentment playing across her face.

"Here, Trix. Hold this for me," requested her younger brother, Bobby.

A gallon size jar full of lightning bugs appeared briefly in front of her face before he dropped it on her stomach and ran to the end of the dock before cannonballing into the lake.

"Oh," she gasped, grabbing the jar before it fell to the ground. "Darn it, Bobby! You could have given me warning," Trixie hollered after him. Sitting up, she straddled the seat and held the jar up to her face to admire its inhabitants.

The luminous glow from the bugs' under-bellies lit up her enthralled face as a pair of warm hands gently touched her shoulders.

"What do you have there, baby?" a husky voice asked, as the owner of the hands straddled the chaise behind her; running his hands down her sides before reaching around her and pulling her back into the warm cradle of his body.

Trixie snuggled back into a solid, muscular chest. "Hmm," she purred. "My younger brother dumped the jar of lightning bugs he and the Lynches gathered this evening on me. It looks like they caught the mother-lode of bugs tonight."

Jim placed his cheek against her head. "Seeing you holding that jar reminds me of you and Sherlock catching them at Mead's Mountain," he whispered huskily into her ear, placing a kiss on her jaw.

"By the way, where is our daughter?" Trixie asked quietly, watching the bugs light up within the jar.

At the same time, Honey was heard commanding, "Go find your mama, Sherlock."

"_Bark! Bark!"_

"Incoming furball!" Brian called, as Sherlock bounded toward the chaise from the table where Honey and Brian sat laughing.

"_Bark! _

Trixie raised the jar above her head as Sherlock landed on the footrest of the lounger.

"Sherlock, sit," Jim commanded quietly, as Trixie settled back against his chest.

The young dog obediently sat and looked at the jar in Trixie's hands. Tilting her head to one side and then the other, Sherlock appeared fascinated by the lightning bugs once again.

"Your little girl loves to look at lightning bugs," Trixie giggled; as the trio settled comfortably onto the chaise.

"She'll be sad when you let them all go," Jim replied, nuzzling her neck.

"I know. She seems to love them as much as we do," she agreed. As all the bugs lit up at once, Trixie held the jar up in front of her face. "There are so many of them that they are really bright when they light up at once."

The glow of the bugs' shimmering bellies gave Trixie's face a look of pure enchantment.

"Once when we were kids and Di was at the farm for a sleepover, I accidentally squished one of them on my left hand," she related quietly. "We decided that the little guy's light looked like a diamond ring. It stayed lit up for at least an hour."

Jim kissed the top of her head. "I always suspected you liked diamonds. You kept mine at thirteen," he chuckled. "Now, when I think of lighting bugs, I think of you and Sherlock catching them in the jar and staring at them."

Trixie turned her head and captured his lips in a long, sweet kiss. "My favorite memory of that trip was making love for the first time," she sighed out quietly, nibbling his lips. "And it's been magic ever since."

"Darn it!" Jim exclaimed, startling Sherlock. Reaching around Trixie he calmed the dog as he explained, "I knew I kept meaning to tell Lester that he needs to install a butcher block island in the kitchen." He growled playfully. "That was my favorite feature of the cabin," he advised with a waggle of his eyebrows.

Trixie giggled and wiggled back against Jim. A devilish grin appeared when she heard Jim groan and she felt his arms tighten around her. "That was one of my favorite parts of the cabin, too." She carefully set the jar down on the ground by the chair, smiling as Sherlock hopped down to stare at the contents and guard them. Turning so she could look up at Jim, in a throaty voice she added, "I also liked that extra-large shower and the two person Jacuzzi and…." her voice trailed off as Jim took possession of her lips.

A sudden flash of lightning in the distance caught Sherlock's attention, causing her to whine.

At the pitiful sound, Trixie and Jim broke apart just in time to see another flash of lightning.

"It's about time to go home, baby dog," Trixie reassured her, placing a hand on Sherlock's head. Glancing around, she noticed that the rest of the family was walking toward the Manor House carrying the picnic leftovers.

"Bobby," Jim called. "We're going to let the lightning bugs go."

"OK, Jim. Thanks," he replied, picking up the last two baskets, then racing Terry and Larry toward the house.

Trixie picked up the jar and removed the lid. The bugs flew up into the night sky as another bolt of lightning flashed.

"Lightning reminds me of us, too," Jim said softly. Seeing the curious look on Trixie's face, he explained, "There's a quote that says _'Falling in love is like being struck by lightning. You can no more make it strike you than you can avoid it.'_ It is so awesome that we fell in love so young and it has stayed true," Jim said in amazement.

Trixie looped her arms around his neck and pulled his face down to hers. As she nipped his lips, she whispered, "I'm just grateful that love lightning struck the two of us, forging us together."


End file.
